International Affairs

Insurance

In Germany, health insurance is mandatory (called the "gesetzliche Versicherungspflicht"). To enroll as a student, you must either prove that you have statutory health insurance or that you are exempt from the mandatory statutory health insurance ("Befreiung von der Versicherungspflicht"). Visiting scholars and doctoral students with an employment contract are also required to have valid health insurance. Below you will find information about which type of insurance is mandatory in Germany as well as additional insurances which may be relevant for you.

Health insurance for students

Please carefully read the information about health insurance provided by the Foreigners' Registration Office (Ausländerbehörde) before applying for health insurance as a student at TU Berlin!
 
Insurance is a legal requirement in Germany and you need to provide proof of German statutory health insurance or proof of exemption before enrolling at a university in Germany.
 
These must be provided to TU Berlin in electronic format by a statutory health insurer. You can find more information here.
 
For students from abroad, this means either taking out a policy with a German statutory health insurer or providing proof of exemption from the requirement to do so, for instance if you are covered by insurance in your own country (e.g. EHICGerman-Turkish social insurance agreement, private insurance) or if you have private insurance in Germany.
 
In other words, if you already have (private) insurance in your own country which is also valid in Germany, you can apply to one of the German statutory health insurers for exemption. The same applies for students who have private health insurance in Germany. You can use the confirmation of exemption when enrolling. Please note, however, that you generally cannot then take out statutory insurance while studying.
 
If you would like to apply for statutory health insurance, obtain proof of exemption, or if you have any questions, please contact one of the statutory health insurers. Offices for the following insurance companies are located close to the campus:
 
AOK - Ernst-Reuter-Platz 2, 10623 Berlin, contacts: Ms. Gohr and Ms. Günther
 
Barmer - Kurfürstenstraße 84, 10787 Berlin, Barmer Student HUB

Techniker Krankenkasse - Pestalozzistr. 77, 10627 Berlin, contact: Nico Arcones

Accident insurance for students

You can find information about accident insurance for students on the website of Occupational Health and Safety Services and Environmental Protection.

Insurance for visiting scholars

Health insurance

All researchers and their accompanying family members must take out a health insurance policy that covers them from the first day in Germany.

Before you can obtain a residence permit, you will be required to submit proof of insurance. You should check that your insurance in your home country covers medical and hospital expenses in Germany. If this cover is not sufficient, you will have to take out additional insurance.

The two types of health insurance in Germany are statutory health insurance and private health insurance. Their availability depends on whether you will be working in Germany on the basis of a scholarship, fellowship or an employment contract. If you fund your stay in Germany independently or by means of a fellowship, you have no alternative but to take out private health insurance cover. If you possess an employment contract, you are required to take out statutory German health insurance. 

To apply for your residence permit you will need a proof of a secure livelihood, which must also include sufficient health insurance. Those with statutory health insurance are sufficiently insured. Those with private health insurance must consider the type and extent of their health insurance. For more information, please read the leaflet "Information for students on adequate health insurance."

Information on the German health insurance system is avail­able from the website of the Federal Ministry of Health.

Liability insurance

In Germany everybody can be held liable for damages caused to third parties. Parents are also liable for their children. Therefore, it is commonly standard to purchase private (family) liability insurance to protect oneself against claims of others due to unintentionally caused damages.